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I voted for Barack Obama and I’m proud of it!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

This morning  I voted for Barack Obama.  And I think that he can win.  I certainly hope he does.

I probably would have voted for who ever the Democratic candidate was, but I doubt I would have been this excited about it.  At the beginning of this cycle I didn’t think that Obama could possibly win.  I liked some of the things he said, but I didn’t believe that he was a realistic candidate.

Man was I was wrong.  This guy is smart, energetic and seems to sincerely want to make things better.  I like him cause he says, “Here’s what we’re gonna do…” and then he tells me what he wants to do.  That shouldn’t be remarkable, but it is.  Most politicians speak in sound bites, and when it comes time to explain their plan, it sounds like gibberish.

Do I think that Obama can do all things he says he wants to?  Hell,  I don’t know.  I’m tempted to say that some of these things are a bit naive and that you can’t just make these changes in today’s Washington.  But I’m not going to say that.  I’m done under-estimating this guy.

I thought, initially, that he had screwed up when he chose Biden as his running mate.  Everyone knew how gaffe-prone he was.  But what was supposed to be his great weakness is what makes him a credible partner in this campaign.  Joe Biden speaks his mind and his heart.  Occasionally, that creates a gaffe, but I don’t hear in him this political mumbo jumbo.  I hear someone who believes in this campaign.  Completely.

The Obama people have talked about running a “50 State Campaign” from the very beginning.  Again, when I first heard that, I thought that it was a nice idea, but you can’t do that.  You have to focus on the states you can win and pour your resources in to those states.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  I have no doubt that the strategy of campaigning to the whole country, is the very reason that Obama is poised to win a few traditionally Red states.  More than that, it’s a much better way to view the election and the country.  McCain and Palin have been campaigning to what they perceive to be the Real America, pitting those so-called Real Americans against the rest of the country.  And alienating the rest of us in the process.  If you want to be President of all 50 states, how could you do anything but run a 50 State Campaign.

Like I said, I’m done doubting Barack Obama.  I’m a believer.  I think that his vision will improve this country.

I’m proud to say that I voted for Barack Obama and I encourage anyone who hasn’t voted yet to consider doing the same.  You won’t regret it.


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Walking to Jersey, Part One

Saturday, October 25, 2008
Pennsylvania Rocks

Pennsylvania Rocks

When I talk about backpacking, I try to convey that the getting there is as important as the destination.  Hell, the destination is often no more than some little road in the middle of nowhere or a mostly flat spot to pitch a tent.  There is nowhere in particular that we are going to, just the next stretch trail.

This trip was different.  5 years ago when I went on my first serious backpacking trip, we were dropped off (in the pouring rain) in Maryland, we walked for about 4 miles before crossing into Pennsylvania.  Since then, I’ve walked all of the trail in Maryland, plus the seven miles that go through West Virginia.  I’ve walked over 300 miles in Virginia.  Most of that 300 plus miles has come on week long trips.  In contrast, before this trip started I had walked just over 200 miles in Pennsylvania, all of it done over weekend trips.

That has been my backpacking experience; week long ventures in the beautiful and majestic mountains of Virginia and weekend trips along the rocky ridges of eastern Pennsylvania.

I hate hiking the trail in Pennsylvania.  The trail is littered with ankle bending and toe kicking rocks, which occasional give way to boulders.

These thoughts are on my mind as we drive the three hours to Delaware Water Gap.  My friend is kind of enough to drive up with us.  We park my truck just across the Delaware River in New Jersey and Captain Shutter, WAN-Man and I pile into her minivan to head to the trailhead.

Fall Trail

Fall Trail

We drive to the tiny Village of Delps and make our way to a parking lot for State Game Land access.  It’s just about 2 o’clock on Friday afternoon.  We thankour friend for driving and head up a blue blazed trail.  We climb about 700 feet in a little over a half mile where we intersect with the Appalachian Trail.  It’s the same spot where I had sat and waited for my dad, but he never came.  I tell myself that this trip will end better than that one.  We grab a snack and then hit the trail.  We don’t walk long before the trail turns rocky.

We make good time, covering the rocky 6 miles to Leroy Smith shelter in about 3 hours.

I am out of water, all of the the water sources that we had passed were dry.  The spring right next to the shelter is also dry.  We have to follow the blue blaze most of a mile to get to a running spring.  Captain Shutter and I sit by the little spring pumping water through a filter into our water bottles.  I drink one liter bottle and refill it before we walk back to camp.  Efficiency with water is important.  It would do me no good to fill the bottles up and then feel thirsty enough to want to drink one once we made it back to camp.  After the bottles are watered up and I am “cameled up” we head back up the trail to the shelter.  WAN-Man is there waiting there and another hiker has come in while we were at the spring.  He is a SOBO thru-hiker.  Meaning that he started his hike at the Northern Terminus of the AT, Mount Khatadin in Maine, and intends to walk all the way to Springer Mountain in Georgia, the Southern Terminus.  We chat with him for a little bit but he is staying in the shelter and we plan to tent, so we move our gear to the area designated for tenting a few hundred yards away.

Friday's Camp

Friday's Camp

We set up our tents as the sun went down. Once our tents were up and our gear stowed, we sat around the fire ring to make our respective dinners.  We don’t build a campfire.  We rarely do, backpacking is all about efficiency.  I boil water for Ramen Noodles on my small gas stove.  The warm soup feels good as the temperature drops.

There isn’t a cloud in the sky and through the thinning foliage of the tall trees the stars shine above us.  It’s beautiful, but we know that with no cloud cover, the temperature will plummet.  We put on additional layers to keep warm.  I boil some more water, to help clean out my pot, but also to use for tea.  Backpacking is about efficiency.  We hang our food from a tree to keep it away from any critters.  We sit around the fire ring, with no fire, in the dark and talk.  Eventually, the cold drives us to our tents we retire for the night.

I brought my lightweight sleepbag, so i change into my fleece pants and micro-fleece pullover before climbing into the bag and liner.  I pull the mummy bag tight around my head, so that the only part of me that is exposed is my nose and mouth.

I drift of to sleep knowing that New Jersey is about 20 miles away and by the end of the weekend I will be able to honestly say that I have walked every step of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania, a milestone that I have been work towards for five years.  In spite of the cold and the howling wind outside, I drift off to sleep content.


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Sore and tired…

Sunday, October 19, 2008

I have returned from my backpacking trip.  I’m tired and sore, but overall it was a good trip.  And I have now walked every step of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania.  That’s about 230 miles.  In all, I’ve walked just about 600 contiguous miles on the trail from the PA-NJ line on the north side to Southern Virgina (near Roanoke) on the south.  I will try to find it in me to write about this last trip in detail, later this week.

The Ravens won today, getting back to 500.  I didn’t get to see the game due to my trip, but I did watch it (with much fast forwarding) on DVR.

Tomorrow I will have to work a full week.  I haven’t done that in a while, I’m not sure I can stand it.  Wish me luck.


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Random Thoughts XIII

Friday, October 17, 2008

I watched the debate last night.  I keep hearing that this debate was close.  Go figure.  Obama was clear and consise and told us exactly what he want to do.  McCain was angry.  Very angry.  I can’t belive that anyone actually wants to vote for this guy.  Now all the Replublicans understand what it felt like for the Democrats fours years ago.

Tomorrow I go backpacking.  The forecast is calling for cool and sunny.  Perfect hiking weather.  It will get down into the 30’s at night, which is perfect sleeping weather.  And if I’m lucking the foilage will be in full bloom.  With the successful completion of this trip, I will have walked evry step of the Appalachian Trail in the state of Pennslyvania.  I’ve been trying to accomplsh this milestone for a while now.  Wish me luck.

I’ve been watching the Daily Show.  Jon Stewart is much funnier than me.  I wish this wasn’t true, but I can’t ignore this any longer.

XM Radio and Sirius are going to start merging their music channels soon.  I fear that I will loose Lucy and Fred, at least as I know them.  Hopefully, I will get the Grateful Dead Channel in return.  Also am I the only person who subscribes to satelite radio that doesn’t give a shit about Howard Stern?

Less than a month till my next Ratdog show.  I think this officially makes me a Bonehead.

I suck at making friends on the internet as much as I do in real life.  You wouldn’t think that this would surprise me.  But it does.

Sarah Palin got booed by fans at a Flyers game.  Don’t read too much into it, those Philly fans will boo at anyone.

The Rays are going to the World Series, but first they are going back to Tampa.  (If the fucking BoSox pull this out, I may jsut give up on Baseball for good.)

I’m wearing sunglasses right now, don’t ask… I can’t explain it.

I’m guessing that Captain America will be brought back life in time for his big screen debut.

If you have a blog and a sense of humor, you should be a member of the Shitty Blogs Club.

See ya next week.


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I’m sick… again

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

It seem like every autumn, I get sick and then sick again.

It’s those fucking germ infested schools that my kids go to.  No doubt about it.  They bring home the germs to me and I get sick.  You would think I’d built up an immnuity by now, but it seems I haven’t.

My kid got his tonsils and adniods out in the spring, and he is much healthier this school year.  I think I probably should have had my tonsils out when I was I kid, but at that time, I guess, it wasn’t fashionable to remove tonsils.  And rumor has it, that the procedure is much worse on adults than kids.  So I guess I’ll endure.

I’ve just learned that the surviving Members of the Grateful Dead got together for a concert Monday Night at Penn State to support Barrack Obama.  How the hell did I miss this?  There is a rumor on the Internet that they (Bob Wier, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann) will be touring as The Dead this spring.  I must see that.

Now I think I’m ready for a nap before seeing the doctor.


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Headin’ to Jersey

Monday, October 13, 2008

I love the weather this time of year.  Clear, crisp sunny days.  But I can’t enjoy it, the days draw shorter and hint of another dark winter.

I know I keep saying it, but I really need to relocate myself to a somewhere without a winter.  One of these days it is going to happen.

In order to maintain a little sanity, I am going backpacking this weekend, along with Captain Shutter and my other hiking buddies from work.   We will hike the last stretch of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania.

I’ve already walked over 200 miles in Pennsylvania, most of in weekend trips cover 35-40 miles.   The trail is rocky and the views pedestrian compared to the vistas of Virginia and the majesty I’ve only read about in New England and the Smokeys.   This where the trail has taken me from my starting point in Maryland.  And along the way there has been plenty of beauty, but that’s not what sticks out in my mind when I think of hiking in Pennsylvania.   I just think of the goddamn rocks.  This weekend represents the last 30 some miles of the AT in Pennsylvania for me.  With any luck, I will wake up on Sunday in Pennsylvania and walk to a waiting Car in New Jersey.

This, ironically, will make me about the only person around looking forward to getting to New Jersey.


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Something about Sundays

Sunday, October 12, 2008

I had this notion that I would get much done today.  Reality, as usual, conspired against me.

Instead of getting up bright and early and having some coffee, I slept in and then dragged my feet doing nothing for most of the morning.  I didn’t even have my first cup of coffee until past ten o’clock.  I wanted to go to work, so that I could get some shit done in peace and quite without the normal chaos that interrupts my work day.

Even though I hadn’t left myself much time, I put some coffee in a travel mug, grabbed a SF Red Bull from the fridge and headed to work.  I hadn’t been there too long when my cell phone rang.

It was my dad.  Of all things, he was calling me for financial advise.  Me!  My idea of managing my money is to move my debt from one credit card to a different with a lower introductory interest rate.  Anyhow, we talked about what stocks might be attractive to buy given the sell off.  I told him GM over Google.  Google is still too damn expensive to buy, at least I think so.  In six months when GM is belly up and Google is trading for a grand per share it will be clear that I will not make my fortune in the stock market.

I got off the phone and attempted to get some work done, and I did, although not nearly as much as I had hoped.  Which is usually how it goes when I stop in like that.  Every little bit helps, but I’m still way behind.

I hustled home to watch some football.  I didn’t expect the Ravens to win it.  But I did expect them to show up.  It’s not the worse game I’ve ever seen them play, but it wasn’t pretty.  They were simply outmatched by those pesky Colts.

After that I lost a lot of my motivation.  I drowned my sorrow in Pizza and watched Planet Earth on Discovery.

Now I guess I will focus on preparing for next weekend’s backpacking trip and next month’s Ratdog concert.  It gives me something to look forward to.


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Of politics and the economy…

Friday, October 10, 2008

I’m tired.  The kind of tired that sleeping doesn’t fix.  The last two weeks have been long.  But that doesn’t seem to matter.  Life marches forward, whether I’m ready or not.

So I keep marching.

One of the real downsides of following the primaries and presidential races in detail for as long as I have is that I am so ready to be done with it.  As most of the country is just waking up to the fact that there is an election coming up, I am so fucking done with it.

I know what I like and dislike about each candidate.  And know which candidate I like better.  Much better. (I bet you can’t guess!)  The ads, the debates, the interviews; they just confirm what I’ve already decided.  I don’t think I can stand another month of this shit.

The only this worse than the media overload of all things political is to hear these uninformed sheep regurgitate what the TV tells them to think as their own thoughts.  It’s no wonder that this country is going to hell.

About the economy, I’ve decided that I really don’t give a shit.  I’ve been tight on money for a while now.  What do I care that a bunch of day traders are now upset and selling (and selling and selling.)  Just because they’ve finally figured out what I’ve known for a while, does that make it officially a crisis.  Oh look, the affluent are now concerned about the economy… quick let’s start bailing them out with future money.

Bad loans are bad loans.  When a person can’t pay it back, I believe the free market term for that is ‘tough shit.’   At least that is what I believed.  Shows what I know.   In a world where Britney Spears can become a star, become a hysterical white trash train wreck and then become a star again, anything is possible.

If you made a risky loan and can’t pay it back, it’s not your fault.  How were you supposed to know that refinancing your home for more than it was worth and payments that were going to be out of reach after the introductory rate was a bad idea?  You were obviously preyed upon by evil lenders.  The government should save you from this, or so I’m told.

And lenders who sought to cash in by giving out high risk, high reward loans can’t be held responsible.  I mean, sure they were bad, but if we let them face the consequences of their actions the entire economy might just collapse.  Or so I’m told.

So the Government will foot the bill for all of this.  And with what money, you might rightfully ask.  Future money.  Money the government doesn’t have yet but will get later, presumably from the taxpayers.

I’ve been on the phone all night with Citibank trying to negotiate that I will just pay off my credit card with future money, but they keep transferring me.  What’s in your wallet?

I’m sure that there is a more rational explanation for all of this than I am presenting here.  No doubt, I’ve over simplified the whole thing.  Hell, I’m not good with money.  Just ask Citibank, they’ll tell you.

But I say fuck it.  Let’s just admit it.  This system is broken.  Why don’t we just cut our losses and abandon money all together, it’s obvious (at least to me) that money is mostly imaginary at this point.  It could be just like Star Trek, you pay for everything with ‘credits,’ which gives the bean counters something to count but there isn’t actually any money.

Credits, Future Money, Whatever.

Like I said, I’m an idiot with money, but I’ll tell you this: If GM drops much lower, I might be able to afford to buy some.


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Rest in peace

Sunday, September 28, 2008

My Grandfather died last Thursday.  He was 91 years old.

Earlier this summer, he had been diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure.   I’m no doctor, but I took that news to mean that this was the beginning of the end.  I decided that I would travel to Florida and see him and my grandmother while they were both aware and healthy enough to be in their own home.

My brother went with me and it was a great visit.  And in retrospect, I am so glad that I did it.  At the time it seemed maybe a little melodramatic, but had I not acted on that thought I would be filled with regret right now.  As it stands, I will travel to Florida again.  I, along with my family, will drive down Thursday, (it will take between 16 and 18 hour.)  There will be a service on Saturday and we will drive back on Monday.  I’ll have to miss some work and the kids will miss some school, but I think we can live with that.

Beyond the logistics of dealing with his passing, I find myself thinking about age, death and the life that he lived.

I’m not eloquent enough to eulogize anyone, so I’ll keep these thoughts as brief as I can.

Often, it seems that people diminish as they age.  This isn’t how I percieve my grandfather.  Sure, he slowed down, especially in his late 80’s, and he was very hard of hearing, but still he seemed to be sharp.  In some ways, he seemed to me that he was as articulate and intelligent as I had even seen him, when I visited with him in August.

He and my grandmother have seen the world.  Russia, China, Europe and nearly all of the United States.  I can only imagine that when the kid from rural western Pennsylvania found himself in China to serve his country in World War II that it sparked a life long love of travel.  I’ve seen hundreds of slides from around the world.  My grandfather taking the pictures to document the trip and my grandmother making friends with the locals everywhere they went.

His four children live all over the country. Jersey, Vegas, Cupertino and Maryland.  He had 11 grandchildren, who range in age from the ripe old age of 36 to an infant.  Yes, an infant.  It’s a brave new world.  In addition, there are at least 9 ( I honestly can’t keep track) great-grandchildren with a 10th on the way.  Add to this cousins, nieces, nephews and friends, there is an incredible amount of people who are tied to and have been influenced by this one man.

His charm, wit and intellengence leave an impression on everyone he meets.  And as well as I’ve known him, that impression is very large.  I mourn the loss, I have no choice.  But I also look at a man who has lived an incredible full life, filled with ups and downs — like all lives.  I can only hope that if I live 91 years in this world, that I will have made as much of an impression.


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It reminds me of that episode of M*A*S*H…

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

My day started as most of them do… with Mrs. Jeckles threatening me.

“Get up now.  And if you want me to iron your clothes, give them to me before I’m done ironing.”

Sometimes it takes a threat (or many) to get me out of bed.  I stumbled to the closet and tossed a shirt and a pair of pants in her general direction.  She ironed.  I sat there and sipped coffee trying to get awake.  We had breakfast and off to work she went.

I got up the younger child, gave him cereal and took my shower.  After another cup of coffee, I got dressed.  As I buttoned up my shirt, it felt tight.  Especially around the neck.  I figured I must be putting on more weight than I had thought, and vowed to get back to the gym.  As I put my tie on, the tightness around the neck was really bothering me.  “This must be a 16…” I thought to myself.  Most of my shirts are 16 1/2’s but the 16’s usually don’t feel this tight.  I unbuttoned the top button, figuring that the tie would hide that fact.  But as it worked it’s way open, it was clear that wasn’t going to work.

As I was fiddling with the collar, my phone rang.  It was one of the other Network Engineers.  He told me that one of the sites that I’d been working with had no mapped drives this morning.  He had checked a few basic things and seen nothing wrong, plus he had a downed server and a down WAN link, so he didn’t have time to investigate further.  I promised that I would call the users and look into it.  Unfortunately, I had meeting scheduled first thing, so I couldn’t go straight there.

I got off the phone, and the boy starts fidgeting, telling me that it is time to go to the bus stop.  My shirt is so tight that it is extremely uncomfortable to even turn my head.  I ran upstairs, grabbed a different shirt and peeled this one off of me.  (it was tight even on my arms!)  I checked the tag to confirm that it was a 16.

The tag read 14 1/2.  It was my 15 year old’s shirt.  His single dress shirt.  I threw on an extremely comfortable 16 1/2, quick tied the tie and dashed out the door to the bus stop. We made it with over a minute to spare.  I went back to house, grabbed some coffee to go and called the site in question as I got in my truck to drive to a different site for a meeting.

It turns out that the mapping issue was all my fault.

The rest of the day went about like that too, but I did go to the gym.


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